Chapter 4
"Why
does he have to be such an asshole?" Dr. Turtle exclaimed as Katie helped
her lay down on the x-ray table. Katie sighed and rolled her eyes.
"No
offense Annie, but why were you such a bitch to him? He was only trying to help
you!"
"By
carrying me around the hospital like an infant?" The agitated physician
fumed. Katie placed the lead apron on her friend.
"Yes,
so you wouldn't hurt yourself further! Gosh Annie, you have to learn to take a
favor! Now hold still while I take this." She positioned the machine over
the Doctor's rib area and shot the picture. "Okay, you can get up
now...slowly!"
Annie
grumbled under her breath. "Yeah, yeah, yeah." She sat up on the
table while Katie hung the x-ray on a light board. "Did I break
anything?"
Katie
squinted at the picture.
"I
don't think so, it just looks like a bad bruise to me. Take a look
yourself." She replied, stepping to the side so the red head could see.
Dr. Turtle sighed.
"I'll
need to be taped up..could you do it?" Katie frowned.
"I
could, but my arm is really killing me and I kind of need both of them to do
that. Why don't you let Dr. Richardson do it, he'll be wondering how the x-ray
came back and anyway and you are his patient." Dr. Turtle made a face.
"Not
by choice I'm not! Where's Nick, this would be a good learning experience for
him?"
"He's
in with Dr. Littrell on a pediatric case."
"McLean?"
"Being
punished."
"ARGH!"
The doctor exclaimed. "Fine, lets go find Dr. Richardson and make nice so
I can get on with my life!" Katie followed her coworker out of radiology
smiling.
"This
should be good."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dr.
Richardson shut the door to the lounge and stood against it, hands across his
chest. He looked at the med. student in front of him who didn't look the least
bit fazed.
"You
wanna tell me what that was all about in the hallway before?" AJ shrugged,
leaning back into the couch.
"What's
there to tell?" The green eyed doctor frowned harder.
"Mr.
McLean, we do not use physical force with patients unless absolutely necessary
and even them we do not punch them out!"
"Well,
man I think that the situation was extreme and the patient was in danger of
doing more damage to our staff than he already had and I felt it ABSOLUTELY
NECESSARY to step in and take care of him."
"Take
care of him by knocking him out?" The doctor continued int he same tone,
trying to ignore the fact that the med. student was mocking him. AJ smiled.
"What
can I say? He was a wuss...a drunk wuss." Dr. Richardson's eyes narrowed.
"Then
you wait till we call security next time, you hear me? If you ever pull that
again, you're ass will be out that door so fast you won't know what hit you. I
don't care what kind of patients come in here, we treat them all the same and
we don't fight them. got it?" AJ leaned in so he was eye to eye with the
doctor.
"Listen,
you don't know how drunks are and don't you go telling me you do. I used to be
just like that guy, sleeping on the corner when I was too drunk to get myself
home. The only difference is that I tried to make something of myself, I got
better. I'm sorry if I over reacted but I can't promise you it won't happen
again cause it may. I don't want people making the mistakes I made and I don't
want them hurting my friends!" And with that he exited the lounge. Dr.
Richardson shut his eyes and tried to avoid the migraine he was getting.
Suddenly the door slammed open. He spun around.
"Look
AJ.." But he was greeted by the two females. "Oh, you're back, how's
the ribs?" He asked his red head coworker. She shrugged. Katie stepped in
handing him the x-ray.
"She
needs to be taped up, could you do it?" Kevin half smiled.
"Only
if she doesn't kick me in the same place while I do." Katie smirked.
"She
won't I promise, will you Annie?" She asked, glaring at the doctor. Annie
just nodded and proceeded to follow Dr. Richardson out into an exam room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nick
Carter stood nervously to the side while Dr. Littrell presented their newest
case to him, a little boy with vomiting and fever. He tried to pay careful
attention.
"Seven
year old Tyler here has had a fever for two days along with vomiting and
weakness. He presents with a temp of 101.6 and a stomach ache. Why don't you do
the exam Mr.Carter?" Brian smiled at the med. student. Nick jumped to
attention.
"Um..okay."
He replied, walking over to the child.
"Hey
buddy, my name's Nick and I'm just gonna look you over to see what's wrong
okay?" The child narrowed his eyes and made a face at Nick. Nick raised
his eyebrows "Okay then." He proceeded to push his hands into the
little boy's tummy. Dr. Littrell looked on.
"What
do you feel?"
"Abdomen
is soft, feels normal." Nick replied. Dr. Littrell nodded confirming him.
"Good,
now how would you check for dehydration?"
"If
the mucus membranes in the mouth are dry."
"Excellent,
take a look and tell me what you see." Brian said. Nick walked over to
Tyler and tried to look inside his mouth.
"Can
you open up for me there sport?" Tyler made another face and turned his
head to the side. Brian's eyes widened and he began to walk over.
"Um,
Nick, don't push him.."
"No,
it's okay, I almost got it." The student replied, pulling down on the
little boy's chin. "It's okay, I won't hurt you, I just need to
look." The child began to gag.
"Nick
look out!" Brian shouted as Tyler puked projectile style all over Nick. He
covered his mouth trying to stop the smile that threatened to surface there.
Nick stepped away from the now calm child and turned to Brian.
"Diagnosis,
the stomach flu"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Ouch!"
Dr. Turtle winced as Kevin finished taping up her injured side. Kevin smirked.
"Well,
if you wouldn't move around so much, it wouldn't hurt." Dr. Turtle pouted
and turned away.
"There
all done! Now you can get away from me, which I know you want to do." He
told her, stripping off his gloves and throwing them out. Dr. turtle pulled her
shirt on and started to walk out, she stopped at the doorway and glanced back
at the surgeon.
"Thanks."
She told him. "And I apologize for being a witch before, it's just that
that idiot hurt me and he hurt Katie and I was a little peeved." Dr.
Richardson shrugged it off.
"Don't
worry about it, you wanna join me in surgery? I got an appendectomy in 15
minutes." Dr. Turtle was stunned that he didn't even acknowledge her
apolligy, but then figured that him offering her a spot on his surgical team
for the operation was his way of saying she was forgiven. He was a strange man
that Kevin Richardson, but she was dertermimed to figure him out. She gave him
a tight grin.
"Sure
lets go."
***
